Westminstenders: Drain The Swamp

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson lost his first vote by 27.

The Commons take control again, and Johnson is now, with his majority gone, is seeking an election.

Whilst the feeling might be one of victory there is a definite sting in the tail.

Johnson has purged the party of 'trouble makers', meaning any replacements after an election are hard liners. And they will be in safe seats. Possibly many of which will be careerists parachuted in.

The party has split. The civil war is over.

Parliament has just lost some of its very best minds in the process. That bodes ill for us all in the long term. The polarisation has just jacked up a level. The centre has fallen even more.

There are no more moderates.

Polling suggests that Johnson won't be blamed for any of this and that's significant.

Take note of this tweet

Douglas Carswell @Douglascarswell
Boris Vs the political Parasites. Guess who wins across suburban Britain?

The optics are not about what you or I are seeing. Nor about what any of the politicial pundits are seeing.

The Democrats and the Media failed to see Trump coming... And this is what now concerns me. His optics are not bad with his core and targets.

Will Johnson be able to have his election?

If yes, I fear the polls look good for Johnson. People want 'Brexit over with' and don't want another extension. They may or may not understand the ramifications of that.

If no, then what? Johnson can do anything with his numbers. Does that mean potentially two governments and the Queen stuck in the middle? Or does he limp on, with no intention of doing anything but take us over the cliff by counting down the clock?

Or something else?

The Brexit Party and Conservatives now seem to have formally united one way or another. They have aligned with current politics alike the divided Opposition parties.

Tonight the penny might have dropped with a few Labour MPs too. They want May's deal to return. Its the only deal there is, in the absence of a Johnson plan and a Labour / Opposition plan. Too little too late...

This isn't going away as an issue either. Stoking up anger against the rebel alliance is a long term project for the fascist right.

Is tonight’s result a victory? Yes, but my fear is its potential to be a Pyrrhic Victory.

The battle today may have been won, but Johnson still looks set to win...

Wow, Gove

I did think it was a risk of BJ to bring his rival - and previous assassin - into the Cabinet
but BJ desperately needed someone more competent than Grayling to prep for No Deal

This is what is slightly confusing me.

We won't end up with No Deal under the proposed bill going through at the moment.

The deadline passes. We have an extension.
So life carries on, the shops have food etc. So the effects aren't seen.

Boris Johnson then calls an election. As there is no obvious effects to the economy because No Deal hasn't happened, he could win.

Then he negotiates. We may get No Deal. The economy crashes.

Then what? 5 years of No Deal Britain?

At least, they do get to own Brexit then. And the consequences.

Michael Fallon standing down as an MP at election - when it comes.

Paul Brand @paulbranditv
NEW: PM tells @Peston says the opposition will find themselves in an "unsustainable position" and will eventually have to vote for an election.

"To be so subsumed by cowardice is not politically sustainable."

Alex Wickham @alexwickham
Possibly... but what is No10 gonna do if they can’t get a majority for an election pre-extension...

And THAT is now the question (interesting to see it come from the normally pro-Johnson Wickham)

Another here who would vote Labour since Corbyn's speech yesterday and Jess (who I've often admired) today. Yes, financially it is bad for our family but I would at least feel taxes were being fairly collected and used well.

WA is main focus for me now, not the bill re No Deal. I suspect this may have been what that odd snippet of conversation ages ago was about (along the lines of "keep them believing in No Deal ... right to the end") which at the time we thought was aimed at EU - was perhaps for ERG/Leavers? Just a thought Tories long ago realised they would be unelectable after a real No Deal. I really think this is a coup within a coup to get rid of The Bastards. Flying close to the wind though!

Howabout The guide is never to choose an election your opponents will v probably win
especially when you expect them to experience disaster later

and especially when they will try to destroy everything your predecessors spent decades building

But this

James Patrick @j_ames
Johnson and co managed to get every possible soundbite out to the electorate there, including the “the opposition have prorogued democracy” line.

Let it percolate. Let it fester. An election will come eventually and it will be fucking awful.

chomalungma the Remainers are banking on the Brexit Party taking Tory votes if they force Boris to ask for an extension. Problem is that he will resign and hand the hot potato to Corbyn rather than do this. This is why the Remain Alliance is actually anti-Corbyn and anti-Boris.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/3683927-Westminstenders-Skullduggery-Fatigue
New thread. Another one.

@howabout How does Boris resigning pass the hot potato automatically to Corbyn?

Unless he calls a vote of no confidence in his own government, which would admittedly be hilarious.

(I know it's serious, I know the consequences will be awful, but I would get a tiny bit of joy out of Boris being forced into doing that)

chomalongma That is why Labour want to delay a GE

To give time to find a way to stop No Deal

V difficult and currently only the WA would definitely do that
The WA would at least stop some of the Tory plans to tear up the welfare state & the NHS, workers rights, consumer rights, environmental law

Small point of order on The Saj and Bercow

Per Jane Merrick (writes for the ipaper so not a Boris / Saj fan):

"Sajid Javid is reprimanded by the Speaker for “out of order” opening remarks in his spending review - but to be fair to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown and George Osborne always made overtly political remarks in their fiscal setpiece statements. Disagree with Bercow here"

Notable also that Bercow didn't seem to notice JMD straying equally badly.

Jacqueline @jac_wac
Interesting. Amendments to house insurance, from a GB company.

They'll not pay out for damage caused by civil commotion or strikers in Northern Ireland.

Also not for terrorism. And I've to prove it's not if they say it is.

Well this seems to be a risk assessment from insurers. Why would they do this is they thought there wasn't a substantial risk which might expose them financially?

Boris resigning having already lost his majority, I think, gives the invitation to Corbyn to form a GNU.

Sun

Red that is a standard insurance term, or certainly used to be.

What happens if the EU don't give us an extension?

Will the WA have to be voted on?

The right wing

howabout Corbyn is NOT part of a Remain Alliance and he leads Labour
Who is this Remain Alliance you keep posting about ?

If BJ resigns, Corbyn would probably be happy to be PM

• it's his only real chance, since he was never likely to become PM after a GE, whether Labour policy was Leave, Remain or anything between Whatever his (well-hidden) virtues, he is toxic to most voters

If Corbyn does lead Labour to another defeat, it'll be decades before they choose a leader of the left again
We saw how long it took after Foot in 1983, for Corbyn to be chosen

Some of the rest

Yet more evidence that nobody should buy the Sun. (I'm from Merseyside so I'm completely biased on this point, and I'm not even a bit sorry for my bias. I have immediate family who witnessed Hillsborough first hand.)

Ah, I see.

I'm sure there would be downsides to Boris doing that which I haven't realised yet but honestly that would be my ideal solution right now- the irony would be that it would all be of Boris' own making.

Labour + SNP + Lib dems would be enough now, right? So it would probably depend on Jo Swinson agreeing to it? But I feel like she'd have to in the short term if he was offering her people's vote?

It's probably all moot though as I can't see Boris resigning and I don't think what's left of the conservative party want to force him out.

And some more.

red I remember after the v expensive City bombings in the 1990s, that insurance companies refused to insure against terrorist damage

I don't know if they ever changed back their terms

Anyway, those City bombings are what mainly forced the UK govt to negotiate properly with SInnFein / IRA

If the Troubles resumed again, the IRA know how to force the UK govt to give in
and it's not by murdering civilians on Mothers Day

Corbyn looks like Eddie Hilter from Bottom in that chicken pic. I kinda want one . Better than Polish chicken's BoZo and Trump at any rate. If you've never seen a Polish chicken a quick google will enlighten.